Just four days ahead of the Municipal Council and Nagar Panchayat elections in Jalandhar, the government’s ‘Meri Rasoi Scheme’ has triggered a major political storm, with Opposition parties accusing the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of openly misusing a public welfare scheme for election campaigning.
Opposition leaders alleged that in several poll-bound areas, AAP workers and local candidates are carrying out the door-to-door distribution of ration kits to woo voters, calling it a blatant violation of the Model Code of Conduct ahead of the civic polls.
Under the scheme, the kits are meant to be distributed through ration depots after beneficiaries receive slips generated through e-POS machines. However, the opposition leaders claimed that while depot holders are allegedly being pressured to issue the kits, the actual distribution is being carried out by AAP workers.
The row has further intensified with allegations that personal details of beneficiaries are being collected under the guise of welfare outreach. The Opposition leaders claimed that specially circulated forms seeking Aadhaar details, voter card numbers and mobile phone numbers of ration card holders are being filled to create a voter database during the election period.
Congress leader Angad Saini from Nawanshahr alleged that the ruling party was resorting to such tactics because it had “failed to deliver on development front” in the past four years.
“No major project has been initiated in Nawanshahr and the city has many civic issues. Now AAP workers are reaching door-to-door with these kits to influence voters,” he alleged.
Saini further claimed that he had informed officials of the Food and Civil Supplies Department about the matter on Thursday, but no action had been taken so far.
Similar allegations were raised by Shiromani Akali Dal halka in-charge Mohinder Singh KP from Kartarpur, who claimed that AAP volunteers were distributing kits directly to beneficiaries in his constituency as well.
Congress leader Dr Navjot Dahiya from Nakodar alleged that along with these ration kits distribution by AAP workers, voter profiling was also being carried out through forms linked to welfare schemes such as ‘Mawan Dhiyan Satkar Yojana’ and ‘Mukh Mantri Sehat Card Yojana’.
“Reference numbers and phone numbers of voters are being collected in the name of welfare schemes,” he claimed.
The controversy comes amid earlier criticism over the branding of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on ration packets distributed under the scheme. It has also reignited allegations that the government has been aggressively promoting its flagship welfare schemes through branding on distribution bags ahead of the civic polls, including the ‘Meri Rasoi Scheme’, ‘Mukh Mantri Tirth Yatra Yojana’, free electricity, government schools claiming to provide “global-level education” and the ‘Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana’.
Under the ‘Meri Rasoi Scheme’, beneficiaries are being provided 2 kg chana dal, 2 kg sugar, 1 kg salt, 200 gram turmeric and 1 litre mustard oil.
